Pulp wood reclaimer



Aug. 7, 1934. K. o. GUTHRIE PULP woon RECLAKIMER 2 Sheets-Sheet l Original Filed Jan. lO, 1931 INVENTOR /Ern/ @mz/ ATTORNEYS Aug- 7, 1934. K. o. GUTHRIE PULP WOOD RECLAIMER Original Filed Jan. 10, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 MARS l'il

Patented Aug. 7, 1934 Keith 0. Guthrie, Pleasantville, N. Y.

Application January 10, 1931, Serial No. (`)7,910 v Renewed January 12, 1934 15 claims( (o1. 19e- 171) '95. four to ten inches in'diameter, is concentrated at the mills, sometimes covering an area o f sev eral acres. It lies in large pyramidal piles and' from these piles it is transported to the chipping, shredding, or grinding plant Where it undergoes the rst stage of its preparation into commercial pulp. This transportation is usually accomplished by lendless conveyors, commonly referred to as reclaimers. These customarily have a series of vertical flights, carried by a continuously movf ing cable, chain or belt, travelling Within a longitudinally extending trough in which the wood is deposited; In practice three diierent modes of employing these reclaimers ordinarily prevail: The conveyor trough may be disposed upon the J surface of the ground in parallelism with the side of the pile being reclaimed; it may be containedv in a ditch extending beneath the base of the pile;V

or it,may be enclosed in a specially constructed tunnel penetrating the pile. In the latter two cases the top of the ditch or the roof of the tunnel is formed of corded timber which may be removed in sections. The wood is charged into the conveyor trough by a gang of workmen especially employed for that purpose and, where either of go'gth'e last two arrangements is employed, sections of the corded timber are removed from time to time to keep pace with the receding edge of the pile.

' It is an object of the present invention to pro- Ivide a reclaimer which dispenses with the large amount of manual labor heretofore required and with the excavating of ditches or constructing of tunnels, while at the same time maintaining a continuous and substantially automatic'feed of 40 pulp Wood to the plant. This object is attained in the reclaimer of the invention by providing a series of flights slidablre along an elongated hat runway disposed near the base of the pile of Wood, with the ends of the flightsprojected beyond the :runway and so shaped as to plow under and unbalance the Vwood vand cause it to tumble down upon the runway into the path of the nights Where it is pushed, by abutments preferably constituting Aa portion of the flights, to a point of I discharge; and in the preferred embcdimentof the invention this action of the flights on the bottom of the` pile is facilitated by so shaping the projected ends of the flights as to impart a series of vertical impulses to the Wood. As the edge of thev A .pile is' eatenaway the reclaimer is adapted to be moved closer to the pile so that the flights obtain a new bite in the bottom of the pile; but in order that the necessity for relocating the reclaimer may be Yreduced to a minimum, it is so constructed that the iiights may be readily adjusted different G distances toward the'pile by the manipulation.' of a hand lever without either disturbing the original position of theV reclaimer or arresting its operation. v I

The invention will be better understood from 6551' the description Vwhich follows of a preferred einbodiment, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the reclaimer; Fig. 2is a perspective View of 'a novelform'70`' of night, and

Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1 indicating the mode of attachment of the flight to the flexibleA cable of the 1 reclaimerl As shown in Fig. 1` the reclaimer consists of a pair of sheaves' l and 2- lying inV acommonhorizontal plane an appropriate distance apart, and connected'by an endless cable 3 to which is attached a series of nights `1. The flights are Y constituted of flat metal plates andextend a direction away from the area enclosed by the cable. The sheaves 1 and l2 are journaled respectively upon a pair of vertical'stud shafts 7 and 8 mounted at opposite ends of a base plate I 85 'which is designed to rest flatly upon the ground adjacent the pile of pulp wood to be reclaimed," The sheaves are each circumferentially provided with a groove 6 to receive the cable and'guid'efit thereover. For imparting movement to the cable in the direction indicated by the arrows in Fig. i 1, an electric motor 9, mounted on one end of" the base plate, drives the sheave 1 through la bevel gear l0. TheV bevelgear is carried upon a counter-shaft 11, and meshes with a bevel I ring gear l2 concentrically4 fastened upon this sheave. Suitable speed-reduction mechanism, housed within "a gear box 13, isr interposed be?. tween the armature shaft of the motor andthe countershaft-in order thatthe cable may be 100 driven at an'appropriate speed.

Skirting'that side of thebase plate, 5 which is disposed nearest the pile of Wood, is an apron 14 of substantial Width. This apron, following the direction of the outer run of the cable 3 105 and having a smooth wear-resistant surface, def nes a runway along which is adapted to slide a series of conveyor blocks l5 fastened upon the, cable. Each conveyor block' 15 is composed of two superposed sections 16 and 17, as shown 110 in Fig. 3, having complementary grooves 18 and 18a, which together form an opening for receiving the cable 3. The inner end 19 of the ilat metal plate composing the flight 4 is generally U-shaped in horizontal cross-section and serves to boX the lower surface of the section 17, the rear face of this section being cut away as indicated at 20 to cause the upwardly bent end of the flight rto lie flush with the rear wall of the conveyor block 15. The two sections 16 and 17 are held in clamping engagement with the cable 3, and the flight 4 is maintained in rigid assembly with the conveyor block 15, by means of bolts 21 countersunk within the bottom face of flight 4 and extending vertically up through apertures formed in sections 16 and 17. It will be apparent that the lat vertical legs of the box portion of the flights embrace the front and rear walls of conveyor blocks 15 and afford means `to effectively resist twisting of the flights in a horizontal plane.

The conveyor blocks 15 Vin operation slide along the apron, covering only a portion of its Width. In korder that theseblocks vmay pass smoothly around the sheaves 1 and 2, the sheaves are each provided with circumferentially spaced notches 22. These notches aredesigned to receive the blocks as the cable winds over the sheaves butthey serve the additional function of preventing i the cable from'slipping.

. The metal plates constituting the body portions of the flights 4fare each of such form as to define three distinct areas, namely, a `U-shaped box -portion 19 embracing the lower `portion of the conveyor block 15 which has already been described, an intermediate bridging portion 23 leading from the boX portion and spanning the apron 14 a short distance above its surface, and

'.ng, a wing plate 25 Vdisposed crosswise of the flight. This wing plate may be said to lie generally in a ilat horizontal plane, but being formed intermediate its length with a fold defining a small hump 26 which arches over the bend 24 .of Athe flight. By reasonl of this fold, the inner edge of the wing` plate is contracted so that the wing plate assumes .in plan View a slightly arcuate form. The inner marginal portion of the wing plate upon oppositesides of the terminal portion 24 of the flight is bent slightly upwardly soas to overlap the edge of` the apron 14 as shown in Figure 3. When the reclaimer is operated, therefore, the wing fplate plows under the entangled pieces of pulp wood at the edge vof the pile while the hump 26 imparts a gentle lifting and falling motion to dislodge the wood and cause it to avalanche down" upon thelapron in the path of the flights. J

The mechanism by which the series of flights is readily adjustable outwardly so as to obtain a deeper bite in the side of the pile will'now be described. g v The inner sidesof the conveyor blocks 15 in their movement are arranged to rub against the` ,vertical wall of an angle iron 27 of inverted L,-

section, and this angle iron in turn is slidable toward and away from the edge of the apron 14. Rigidly fastened upon the opposite side of the angle iron and directed inwardly with respect to the area embraced by the cable 3, are a number of shiftrods 28 and each of these rods is pivotally connected to the free end of a toggle 29. The xed end ofthe toggle is pivoted on Ya pin 30 extending vertically from the face of base plate 5 and the series of toggles is arranged to be operated by a pull bar 33 disposed longitudinally of the base plate and pivotally connected to each of the toggles 29. A hand lever 34, fastened at one end of the base plate, where it isreadily accessible to the operator, and arranged to swing in a vertical plane, is connected to the pull bar 33 so that when 'the lever is moved in one direction the toggles are vsimultaneously expanded and a thrust is imparted to the shift rods 28. The hand lever maybe maintained in different positicns of adjustment by means .of a pawl and ratchet mechanism 34. This forces the anglev iron 27 against the conveyorl blocks .15 to move the cableV 3, together with the flights 4, closer to the pile of wood.` This slight expansion of the relatively long cable is permitted by reason of the slack which normally exists therein. Thev two ends of Vangle iron 27 are fastened by pin and slot connections 35 to a vertical plate 36,

and the plate 36 is formed with asuitablenum-j ber of oversize openings through which .pass the shift rods 28. Accordingly, when the angle iron.

is slid outwardly, its ends, being held against outward movement, will be bowed to define ramps for leading the conveyor blocks to and*v from the forwardly projected section. of the angle iron. The horizontal ilan'ge of the angle iron 27 overhangs the conveyor blocks 1'5 'sogas Y to maintain them against vertical displacement on the runway and to prevent material from' jamming between the conveyor vblocks and they vertical wall of the angle iron. This flange is slit near its ends, as shown at 37, in order that bending may more readily.V occur. A spring '38 interposed between the pull bar 33 and the handA lever 34 allows the angle iron 27 to yield when the flights strike an immovable obstruction.

The reclaimer is provided with a gable `roof 40 of stout planks running lengthwise of the apparatus and supported at spaced intervals upon angular frames 41. These frames have upright legs 42 terminally toed in toward each other to permit attachment to the base plate. The plate 36 is fastened to the vertical legs 42 y of the frames so as to constitute a wall with which the angle plate 27 contacts when the latter is in fully retracted position. The plate 36 has a horizontally disposed'overhanging llange' edge of the timber vcomposing rthe lower end ofi/'135 43 which affords a shoulder vagainst which the the roof may rest and thus bej reinforced against injury by the wood as it tumbles down upon the conveyor.

At the delivery end of the reclaimer, the apron maybe cut away toy define a clearance openingvv 44 in the path of the flights in -which Aanotl'rer conveyor may be stationed for transporting'the A.

wood to a moreremote point of discharge. small winch 45, manually operable, comprising a drum upon which is wound a'cable having one end anchored, for example, to a dead man buried inthe ground, may be mounted at veach end of the base plate to afford ready means ffor shifting the apparatus over the ground. v

vIn operation, the reclaimer is drawn up along- (lli ' disposed of side the pile of pulp wood so that the apron 14 will skirtthe bottom of the pile. The motor 9 is started which, through gears 10 and 12,' imparts rotation to the sheave 1. 1 This draws the cable 3 thereover, the conveyor blocks 15 on the cable sliding along-the nat runway denned by the apron and engaging within the correspondingly shaped notches 22 in the sheaves 1 and 2 as the cable winds thereover. The nights 4, being rigidly fastened to the cable and having their outer ends'extending a substantial distance be# yond the margin of the apron 14, pass under the entangled pulp wood at the bottom of the pile with a plow-like action. The humps 26 upon the wing plates 25 at the nat ends of the flights serve to impart a series of alternate lifting and sinking impulses to the wood so as to Luisettle and tickle it down upon the apron where it is caught up by the conveyor blocks 15 and the bridge portions 23 of the nights and swept along the runway to a, point of discharge near the end of the reclaimer. Pieces of wood falling upon the sloping roof 40 of the reclaimer slide down upon the runway and are similarly As convenience may dictate, the reclaimer may feed directly into a hopper 1ocated at the plant or it may deliver to another conveyor which in turn transports the wood to the mill.

As the side of the pile is eaten away and the elfectiveness of the reclaimer decreases, the ends of the nights may, without interrupting the operation of the machine, beV projected further into the pile by operating the hand lever 34. Operation of this lever through the action of toggles 29 i shifts the angle plate 27 outwardly which, pressing against the conveyor blocks 15, takes up slack in the cable and, moves it, together with the nights 4, closer to the pile. Eventually, however, the nights will have attained .their extreme position of adjustment and the entire reclaimer must then be relocated nearer to the pile. When this is the case it may be shifted either bodily or in an arc by operating either one or both of the Winches 45 mounted upon the ends of thereclaimer. t,

Under certain conditions it may be desirable to afford support for an intermediate portion of the nights and this may be done by providing a bead upon the outer edge of the apron 14 of a height requisite to engage under the bridge of the flights. This bead will also serve a secondarypurpose of preventing pieces of wood from rolling off the runway during operation.

Furthermore, it is not necessary that the apron 14 be rigidly connected to the base plate 5, but

in order to accommodate itself to irregularities on.

the ground, it may be longitudinally hinged to the side of the base plate and form what may be termed a noating runway for the series of flights.

I claim:

1. A pulp wood reclaimer comprising an approximately horizontally disposed flexible member adapted to be positioned adjacent a pile 0f wood, means for driving the flexible member, and a plurality of laterally extending nights spaced along the nexible member and connected therewith, said nights having their ends lying generally in a horizontal plane and having a slightly projecting surface upon said ends so as to plow under the entangled pulp wood at the edge of` the pile and impart a series of vertical impulses thereto.

2. A pulp wood reclaimer comprising an apl proximately horizontally disposed nexible mema plurality` of laterally extending flights spaced along the flexible member, said nights having their ends lying generally in a horizontal plane and having a hump upon said ends so as to plow.; under therentangled pulp wood at the edge of the. pileand impart a series 'of vertical impulses toI the wood, and an abutmentV carried by the cable for engaging behind and conveying away the; wood disintegrated yby said impulses and Vfalling in the path of travel of the abutments. A

3. A pulp wood reclaimer comprising yanpap ber adapted to be'positioned adjacent a pile ofv wood, means for driving the flexible member, and.

proximately horizontally disposed flexible member adapted to be positioned adjacent a pile of wood, a runway'located ina plane below the nex.` ible member, means for driving the nexible mem-f. ber, and a plurality of laterally extending nights; spaced along the nexible member and havingitheir ends projecting beyond the outer edge of the runway and lying generally in a horizontal planel to y .plow under' the entangled pulp wood at the edgeof the pile, said ends having a hump thereon to,v

impart a series of vertical impulses to the wood.

4. A pulp wood reclaimer comprising anaprunway, located in a plane below the flexible member, a plurality of nights spaced along the,

nexible member and having their ends 'projecting' beyondthe outer edge of the runwayand lying generally in a horizontal plane to plow under the entangled pulp wood at the edge of the pile, said ends having a hump for imparting a series of vertical impulses to the wood, and a pluralityv of abutments carried by the nexible member adapt-l ed to engage the wood falling upon the runway.

5. A pulp wood reclaimer comprising an ap-v proximately horizontally disposed nexible member adapted to be positioned adjacent a pile of wood, means for driving the flexible member, a;,

runway located in a plane below the nexible inem.-

ber, a plurality of flights fastened to the nexible,

1120 yond the outer edge olf-the runway, the terminal,

member at spaced intervals and projecting benexiblejmember adapted to engage the wood ,fallev ing upon the runway, and means for extending the nights to a position nearer thepile withouty disturbing the location of the reclaimer.

6. A pulp wood reclaimer comprising an -ap.

proximately horizontally disposed nexible inem'-k ber adapted to be positioned adjacent a pileof-V wood, means for driving the nexible member, a,

nat runway located in a plane below the nexible member, a plurality of nights fastened to the nexible member at spaced intervals andv project-,

ing beyond the outer edge of the runway, said nights having their terminal portions lying generally in a horizontal plane to plow under the entangled pulp wood at the edge of the pile and having a hump for imparting a series of vertical impulses thereto, a plurality of abutments each constituting a portion of a nightadapted to engage the wood falling upon the runway,' and means for moving the nexible member closer to the pile of wood without disturbing the location of the reclaimer.

7. A pulp wood reclaimer' comprising an approximately horizontally disposed nexible memproximately horizontally disposed nexible inember adapted to be positioned adjacent ,a pile; of` Wood, meansfor driving the nexible rnembenav ber .adapted to be positioned adjacent a pile of wood, means for driving the iiexible member,A a flat runway located in a plane below the flexible member, a plurality of conveyor blocks carried by the exible member and adapted to slide along the runway, a plurality of flights fastened to the conveyor blocks and-projecting beyond thev outery edge ofthe runway, said flights consisting of` a terminal portion lying generally in a horizontal plane to plow under the entangled pulp wood at the edge of the pile and havinfr a hump for imparting a series of Vertical impulses to the wood andan intermediate portion bridging the runway ata slight distance thereabove, and means for moving the flexible member closer to the pile of wood without disturbing the location of the conveyor, said means comprising a movable plate adapted to shift the iiexible member outwardly toward the' pile.

8. A pulp wood reclaimer comprising an approx-imately horizontally disposed endless cable adapted to be positioned adjacent a pile of wood, a flat runway located in a plane below the cable, sheaves over whichV the cable is trained for driving the cable, a plurality of flights fastened to the cable and projecting beyondthe outer edge of the runway, said flights having their terminal portion lying generally in a horizontal plane and having a hump to plow under the entangled pulp wood at the edge of the pile to impart a seriesof vertical impulses thereto, and a plurality of conveyor blocks carried by the cable adapted to engage the wood falling upon the runway, and manually operable means for shifting a run of the cable to aV position nearer the pile.

9. A pulp wood reclaimer comprising an approximately horizontally disposed cable adapted to be .positioned adjacent a pile of wood, a fiat runway located in a plane below the cable, sheaves lover which the cable is trained for driving the cable, a plurality of flights fastened to the cable and projecting beyond the outer edge of the run-- way, said .flights having their terminal portion lying generally in a horizontal plane and having a hump to plow under the entangled pulp wood at theV edge of the pile and impart a series of vertical impulses thereto, a plurality of conveyor blocks carried by the cable `adapted to engage the wood falling upon the runway and manually operable means for extending the flights to a position nearer the pile, said means comprising a slidable plate adapted to engage the conveyor, blocksupon the iiexible member and toggles for'sliding the plate outwardly.

10.V A flight for use in a pulp wood reclaimer having kan intermediate portion and a terminal plow portion extending longitudinally in the vdipile.

impart a series of vertical impulses thereto to unsettlev the wood and cause it to tumble upon the reclaimer.

11'. `A pulp wood reclaimer comprising an elongated runway adapted to have a longitudinal edge thereof'positionedcalongside of apile of wood, a plurality ofspaced members for unsettling the wood which are disposed in a direction lateral to said runway and extend beyond said edge substantially `through the length thereof whereby their ends will project into the pile of wood when said runway is disposed with the longitudinal edge alongside of the pile, and means for moving said members longitudinally of said runway to cause said members to impart a series of vertical impulses to the wood.

12. A pulp wood reolaimer'comprising an elongated runway adapted to have a longitudinal edge thereof positioned adjacent a pile of wood,y

a plurality'of spaced members for unsettling the wood which are disposed in a direction lateral to .said runway and extend beyond said edge whereby;

their ends may be caused to project into the pile of wood, said ends being provided vwith an undulated member disposed with the kundu-lation longitudinally of .said runway; and means for moving said members longitudinally of said run- Way. t 4t 13. A pulp wood reclaimer comprising va runway adapted to be positioned adjacent a pile of wood, a plurality of` spaced members disposed laterallyof said runway in the direction of the pile, means formoving said members in said runway,4 and means for extending the members nearer the pile without disturbing the ,location ofthe reclaimer. f

14. A pulp Wood reclaimer comprising an elongated runway adapted to have a longitudinal `edge thereof positioned adjacent a `piler'of wood, a plu-V rality of spaced members for unsettling the wood which aredisposed in a direction lateral to said runway and extending beyond saidI edge whereby their ends may becaused to vproject into the pile of wood, meansv for moving` said members longitudinally of said runway,v and means for extending the members nearer the pile without disturb-1` ing the location of the reclaimer. Y Y

15. A pulp wood reclaimer comprising lan elongated'runway adapted-to have a `longitudinaledge thereof positioned adjacenta pile of wood, a plu.-

KEITH o. GTHRIE. 

